


The Moorerunner treatise

by Offbrand_Valk



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Not Canon Compliant, and throwing all my HC's at the wall to see what sticks, can you really have Sylvaina without that tag?, playing fast and loose with the lore here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-07-03 00:31:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15807669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Offbrand_Valk/pseuds/Offbrand_Valk
Summary: In a desperate gamble for peace, Jaina and Sylvanas decide to fake a romantic affair to give the Horde and Alliance a unifying figure.





	1. Lash the sails, Strain the chords

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 1 was written in the span of one day, but i do have notes all the way up to chapter 7, including at least one smutty one shot spinoff.

The battle raged all around Jaina. Kul Tiran canon fire met Zandalari bolts charged with ancient magic, and no one was coming out ahead.

The banshee queen herself had joined the fray, leaping from ship to ship in a flurry of dark smoke, and Jaina brought the full force of her magic to bear upon the horde fleet in retaliation. All in a bid to secure this tiny unnamed island positively brimming with Azerite.

Suddenly the sea turned violently, perhaps a stray shot had hit an exposed vein of Azerite and set off a chain reaction, or maybe the elements just wanted some peace and quiet.

Either way the storm caught both sides by surprise. "Great, just what we needed." Was the last though Jaina said before a yard arm came loose, hit her in the back of the head, and sent her unconscious body falling overboard.

 

Feeling water enter her lungs, Jaina regained consciousness for long enough to summon an air bubble around her, it wouldn't keep her safe from the dangers of the deeps, but it would keep her from drowning until her strength returned or a rope could be thrown.

Horrified, Jaina realized she had been caught by the undertow and angry waves. Still too dazzled from the hit, she was unable to do anything but watch as she was dragged further beneath the waves, along with hundreds of other souls.

Things only got worse from there, her bubble was bigger and lighter than the armored soldiers all around her. In quiet waters she would have floated freely to the surface, now she was being dragged into an underground cave, and given the choice of either swimming against the current towards the stormy surface or submit to her faith until an opportunity to teleport presented itself. She went with the latter, trusting her arcane powers more than her physique.

 

A hand pierced her bubble, quickly followed by the upper body it belonged to. "On three we swim towards that opening." A voice Jaina recognized but couldn't place called out to her. Eyeing the opening just off to the side, she nodded her approval and made ready.

The other woman was strong, almost inhumanly so, and Jaina was thankful she held on to her waist, as she wouldn't have been able to defy the current otherwise.

She flopped gracelessly and panting unto the hard cave floor, and struggled to regain her breath. Then she listened for the sound of her savior's breath and was left wanting...

In a panic she turned around, fearing the other woman had been taken by the current, and found herself face to face with Sylvanas Windrunner.

 

"Lady Proudmoore." She said with a fanged smile that reminded Jaina of a predator eyeing its dinner.

"Lady Sylvanas uh Windrunner, how can I help you?" Jaina replied, a slight hitch in her breath which came solely from nearly drowning, and not at all from a tall intimidating woman standing over her.

"You can teleport the both of us out of here." The dark lady clearly had no times for games, neither did Jaina truth be told.

"Right." Jaina said as she began to open a portal to Dalaran, Sylvanas had saved her life, it was only fair she repaid her by getting them both out.

The outline of a portal shimmered in the air for just a second as Jaina reached out with her magic, only for it to close as soon as she let her guard down.

Jaina made a confused grunt and glared dissatisfied into the open air, then tried again. This time she put her back into it and made sure not to lose focus for even a splitsecond. For all her troubles a portal the size of a quill opened in front of her and closed again moments later.

A third try, this time towards Theramore got her no further, nor did a fourth towards Gadgetzan. "What's the hold up Proudmoore?" A both irritated and suspicious Sylvanas asked.

"Well, you'll be delighted to hear I've made a new discovery regarding azerite's magical properties: when surrounded by it in large quantities, it makes teleporting near, if not downright impossible." Jaina was no more pleased with the situation than Sylvanas.

"Those are truly delightful news." Sylvanas snarked back. "Seems we have to find our way out the old-fashioned." She said, took a step, and fell flat on her face with a very undignified squeal.

 

"Seems you have ahem, dislocated, your foot lady Windrunner." Jaina said and gestured to the open fracture by the forsaken's ankle, whilst trying not to take too much pleasure from her temporary ally's pain.

"Thanks, I hadn't noticed." Sylvanas grumbled into the cave floor.

"Truly?" Ever curious, Jaina couldn't stop herself from asking.

"No, falling face first in front of my people's sworn enemies is somewhat of a hobby of mine... Undeath have left my nerves dull, I suspected something was amiss with my foot, just not of this magnitude." As she spoke she got into a sitting position and inspected her injury, at the same time Jaina climbed over to help

"May I?" Jaina said gesturing to the wound, then winced as Sylvanas pushed the broken halves of bone back into her leg. "You may, so long as you don't make it harder to stitch closed, the bones will heal on their own." Jaina settled for covering the wound in ice to keep the bone from popping back out.

 

They crawled in no particular direction further into the cave, there was no point to anything else as the chaotic current had ruined their sense of direction.

Whenever they reached places high enough to walk, Jaina supported Sylvanas, and ever so slowly they managed to form inner maps of the cave.

One large chamber had a particularly foul odor, that only seemed to grow worse as time went on, so they avoided that until they had no choice but to look there or start long distance diving.

 

As they had both suspected, the chamber was where many of the dead had washed up. It was horrifying sight to behold, yet all Sylvanas said was. "Shame."

"Shame?" Jaina sputtered, her anger bubbling to the surface. "Is that really all you can say about this meaningless loss of life? Shame?!"

Sylvanas shot back with cold indifference. "I grieve for the people I lost, I will not grieve for yours, they would not grieve for mine."

"Yeah, you seem very remorseful right now." Jaina said with steel in her voice.

At this Sylvanas spun around, standing unassisted, her banshee rage flaring up. "Do not lecture me on how to mourn Jaina Proudmoore. This battle was necessary, the fury of the Horde is necessary, this whole war is necessary if we are to not suffer genocide and enslavement at the hands of your Alliance."

Jaina's anger flared up too, and her magic with it. "Oh please, are you going to stand there and tell me the Alliance started this war?"

"You're right the warmongering criminal Garrosh Hellscream remains at large, in charge of a major faction within the horde, and unpunished for his transgressions. Much like your Genn Greymane."

"This isn't about Greymane!"

"It's not? Then please enlighten me who turned an airship upon my fleet during what was supposed to be a joint operation?"

"No it's not!" Jaina screamed out, then took a deep breath, a hint of tears in her eyes. "It's about years and years of senseless feuds, inherited from parents to children, and vengeance for vengeance's sake, that never end until all life on Azeroth is lost."

Sylvanas made ready to fire back, but stopped herself and started limping forward in silence, towards an opening that her gut told her lead outside.

Jaina slid down on the ground, anger wasn't usually this exhausting for her, in fact normally it was downright freeing. Yet, here she was completely drained of energy.

 

How long she sat there, Jaina didn't know, it could have been moments, it could have been hours. Eventually she got up and seeing as Sylvanas hadn't returned, like she would if the tunnel had been a dead end, made to follow her.

She found Sylvanas not 2 minutes down the tunnel sitting on a rock.

 

Sylvanas met Jaina's gaze as she approached. "you're right." She said, the surliness clear in her voice.

"What about?" Jaina had her suspicions, but she wanted Sylvanas to say it.

"This is a meaningless war, kept going by old grudges forming new grudges." She stood up and wiped her face, had Jaina really just spotted a tear in her eye? "I thought I could have stopped this! I really did! One decisive strike, one last bloody battle, then peace for the horde for all eternity, but no matter what I do the wheel just keeps turning and the forsaken gets crushed beneath it."

Jaina stopped and stared in shock, of all the people she had imagined advocating peace, Sylvanas was last on her list. "This isn't the way Sylvanas."

"I know that." Sylvanas half sneered, half sobbed and began walking. "It's just all we've ever known."

That Jaina couldn't argue with. Peace was a dream, a beautiful, ephemeral dream. A dream that couldn't be kept alive by willpower and hope alone, it needed something stronger to protect it.

They were both so lost in thoughts and sorrow that they only noticed the fresh air when the sun started to shine down upon them.

 

"Where would you like to go lady Windrunner?" Jaina asked as she felt the sea air enter her lungs and the constricting pressure of azerite fall off her magic.

"For another few minutes, I think I would like to stay right here, if it wouldn't trouble you Jaina?" There was a reverence to her tone that piqued Jaina's curiosity once again. She walked over to find the Dark Lady staring out across the ocean and the slowly setting sun.

"It's no trouble at all." She said and sat down next to her. "I think, this cliff was made for dreaming." Sylvanas nodded her agreement.

 

After a while they stood up in unison, and looked around awkwardly. Neither of them had expected the day to go like this, yet neither of them truly wanted to leave the cliff ever again.

"Wouldn't you know, a mistletoe." Sylvanas said in an attempt to make small talk and break the silence, while Jaina gathered herself to conjure a portal.

The mage grew beet red and started stammering and stuttering, a moment later realization dawned upon Sylvanas as she remembered her schooling on human traditions.

Then a plan started to take shape.

  

* * *

 

 

A few days later Jaina was hand delivered a letter by Lillian Voss from Sylvanas that read:

_Lady Proudmoore._

_Our recent encounter left me with a very different view of our mutual situation, and I believe I have a plan that is, as your kind put it: just crazy enough to work._

_This plan however will require your cooperation, and that is all I will mention lest this letter fall in the wrong hands. Should you wish to hear further I will be spending the night in Dalaran this upcoming Saturday, that we may orchestra another "chance encounter"._

_\- S_

_ps. I expect I do not need to stress the importance of you destroying this letter after reading._

_pps. Yes Lillian I am well aware there was no way this letter would fall into enemy hands under your watch, I just knew you would read it, and need you kept out of the loop._

Fully expecting that it might be a trap, and without wasting a breath, Jaina packed a bag of necessities in a hurry, burned the letter with magical flames, and teleported to Dalaran.


	2. The Worst Laid Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I may have mentioned this before but, fun fact: travelling to a different country to stay there for five and a half months without a place to stay takes a lot of you emotionally.
> 
> Anyways here's chapter two, it only took like... six times as long as expected?

"So tell me _Sylvanas_ what's this grand plan of yours?" Jaina asked after she had triple checked that they were absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt, free of eavesdroppers.

Sylvanas snorted. "Grand is the last word I would use to describe it, absurd seems much appropriate, doomed to failure would also work."

That comment didn't exactly assure Jaina she had done the right thing by coming to Dalaran, nonetheless she gestured for Sylvanas to continue.

 

"I assume you're familiar with the phrase _violence begets violence_ , it's a favorite of your boy king's whenever he's lost a great battle. Much as it pains me to admit it, he's on to something, I cannot achieve peace through war." Her monologue was interrupted by a mocking giggle from Jaina.

"Excuse me." Sylvanas said, a single, murderous eyebrow raised. "No no, carry on, I'm just happy to see you've caught up to the rest of us in your understanding of the nature of warfare.

Aggressively rolling her eyes Sylvanas continued. "The problem with your approach, aside for the hypocrisy of course, is that it makes no mention of how peace is to be maintained. Had this only been a war about resources then perhaps we could have compromised, drawn lines in the sand and agreed on exchange rates. Unfortunately, this is a war off cultures, cultures that define themselves by their hatred of each other."

Jaina was quickly getting tired of listening to the sound of Sylvanas' voice. "So what are you planning to do? Have the horde bombard Stormwind with dandelions? Write a heartfelt letter to Tyrande Whisperwind about how sorry you are for destroying Teldrassil?"

"No of course not, those plans would never work." The mockery in Sylvanas voice was clear. "You and I are going to convince the whole world we are in a deeply committed relationship."

 

"IBEGYOURPARDON?" Jaina's jaw hit the floor like a sack of bricks, Sylvanas had to be joking right? Right?!

"Perhaps if your ears weren't so disgustingly underdeveloped you would be able to hear instructions the first time around. It's very simple: we are going to fake a romance for the sake of peace." Sylvanas said, well aware her plan needed a fair bit more explanation than such, but thoroughly enjoying watching Jaina squirm in discomfort and confusion.

"How, uhm, how exactly is that going to help us get peace?" Jaina said when she accepted the dark lady was being deathly serious.

"By giving the Horde and Alliance a unifying point, we would both be viewed first as traitors, then as hypocrites, but if we play our cards right, once the dust clears people will see us as an inspiration to forgive and forget." There was a strange sort of passion to Sylvanas as she spoke, one Jaina hadn't seen since the assault on Icecrown.

"Do you really think this will work Sylvanas?" The foolish young girl that lived inside Jaina wanted so desperately to believe that things could start getting better, instead of worse, a lifetime of broken hopes rang much clearer though.

"Not even for a second, however it's this or keep sending people into the meatgrinder and I want to know I have exhausted all options."

Jaina nodded to herself. "I'll need some time to think this over." Sylvanas pursed her lips disapprovingly.

 

* * *

 

Jaina walked the streets of Dalaran lost in thoughts. Starting from the top she began mentally listing her issues.

First and foremost, there was their odds of success, which was... practically nonexistent. That should have been it, she should have laughed in Sylvanas' face and left as if it never happened. For some reason she couldn't keep herself from hoping, and she didn't know why, because it certainly wasn't her faith in the plan. She also suspected all Sylvanas talk about different approaches was just her trying to justify her crazy plan to herself. Maybe she just really needed to know she had exhausted all options.

Next there was the issue of trusting Sylvanas. Jaina was one of the few people who fully realized the dark lady's knack for scheming and planning. Normally her plans didn't rely on wheels within wheels, so much as they did on calculated risk and thinking ahead. Her modus operandi changing wasn't impossible, but Sylvanas was also proud and clearly not looking forward to pretending a relationship with her. Sylvanas seemed genuine in her desire for peace, though that could all be an act. She didn't really get anywhere on point two.

What if it backfired? Azeroth had grown a lot more accommodating to queer people over the last few years, most people herself included, preferred to stay quiet about their identities, it was just easier. Still if the plan would lose the alliance partners it would be for Sylvanas' actions not her gender, of that much Jaina was certain.

Finally there was the matter of her comfort. In all her life she had only been in two relationships, both with men, and neither of them had gone beyond chaste kisses, long before either of those she had however thought herself able to love a woman as well as a man, as well as any other gender for that matter, Sylvanas just wasn't exactly the partner she had imagined to be her first non-male love. Did Sylvanas even like girls? She couldn't just ask that right? That would make it seem like she wanted it to run deeper than purely political. Why did it matter to Jaina in the first place? at most they would need to do some light cheek kissing in public, it wasn't like her and Sylvanas were going to have sex.

Did she need to disclose her trans status? No that was definitely not necessary considering how well she had kept it hidden so far.

 

Her feet carried her to Vereesa's house practically on their own. What had begun as a stray thought, was now absolute reality as Jaina had already knocked on the door before her mind had even had a chance to catch up.

"Jaina, It's been too long, come on in." Vereesa said with a small smile, it was the most positive reception you could ask for in these dark times.

With only a moments' hesitation Jaina did as instructed. Vereesa didn't ask why she had come, just let Jaina tag along for her daily activities as if it was a regular occurence. Perhaps she thought Jaina just needed some time away from conflict, when she looked deeper, Jaina suspected she might be right.

 

After dinner the boys were put in a separate room to do their homework whilst Jaina and Vereesa sat down with some tea, another moment of hesitation then Jaina turned to face her host. "I actually came here to pick your brain on a matter of some importance."

Vereesa smiled and gestured to herself. "Well, pick away."

"I can't tell you many details, and what I can need to remain a secret from everyone including the High King." Jaina tried to sound confident rather than nervous about asking one of her few friends to commit treason by proxy.

Vereesa mulled it over in her head, then nodded in understanding. "My mouth is shut,"

Jaina nodded back. "I'll get right to it then. How do you think Sylvanas feel about this war?"

Vereesa's face went on a journey to the twisting nether and back, culminating in a non-committal but highly confused "Eeeeerrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhh" sound.

"I'll be more specific. Do you think Sylvanas would accept a peace outside the complete destruction of the alliance?"

This time Vereesa's face folded in on itself, betraying her true age in spite of the seemingly infinite youth of the elves. After a long time's pondering she answered. "I like to think that she would, whether that is actually the case or just my dreams is a question I have too much love for my sister to answer."

"But that's why I'm asking you Vereesa, because everyone else I could ask would tell me the only peace will come with the death of the dark lady. I need someone that still have love left for Sylvanas."

"You need to give me the whole story Jaina, otherwise I can't help you."

At this Jaina looked down in guilt. "If I could I would, as it stands I fear I have already told you too much." Jaina paused and carefully picked her next word. "Me and Sylvanas are working on a... I guess you could it an understanding, and I worry I'm just becoming a pawn in her game."

A strange, almost childish smile crept across Vereesa's face. "When we were kids we had this trick that I don't think she ever grew wise to. Engineer the situation in such a way that she will have to embarrass herself before you can participate, if it's a ploy she will back out for fear that you have seen through her, she's too proud for her own good sometimes."

Jaina could work with that, she could very much work. She was on her feet and grabbing her cloak before she knew, realizing only as she was on her way out the door that she still had one more question that needed answering. "Wait, why did you and Aleria need a way to tell when Sylvanas was using you for a ploy?"

"Would you believe me if I told you Sylvanas was an insuferable prankster long into her teens?"

"Not for a moment."

 

* * *

 

Their first meeting would be at one of the smaller inns in Dalaran, out of the way enough to not attract attention without seeming suspicious. At least that was what they were going for, schemes had never been Sylvanas strong suit, no matter how long she had been forced to spend in court as ranger general.

So young she had been, it felt like a life time ago.

 

She arrived wearing an enchanted dark red doublet, a gift from the high arcanist upon joining the horde. It wasn't armor, at least not of the weight and strength she was used to wearing, though the enchantments would stop a few strikes before the fabric was cut. Furthermore upon speaking the activation words, the doublet would transport her to Orgrimmar, not that she didn't have a unit of dreadguards patrolling the area, redundancies were after all a girl's best friends.

Most importantly of course, the jacket was attractive, a trait the vast majority of her clothing lacked. It framed her body well, made her skin seem less pallid, and hid the many stitched-shut injuries that covered her upper body. Nightborne tailors had nearly labored themselves to death to get the doublet perfect and it showed.

Between the doublet and the frankly obscene amount of make-up and perfume she had to wear to mask the unmistakable cloud of death that hung around her, Sylvanas felt certain she would have the upper hand in the "negotiations" to come.

That was until she saw Jaina.

The mage was wearing a Kul Tiran classic, layers upon layers of dresses and cloaks, of course in navy blue as was befitting of the daughter of the sea. The layers of wool clung loosely to her body, some might even call it ill-fitting, though to Sylvanas it seemed downright majestic.

So enraptured was she by Jaina's look, she entirely failed to notice the mustard stain sitting proudly on the mage's collar.

 

They met in the middle of the room, and looked each other up and down. Sylvanas was trying to judge if Jaina's intentions were true, she imagined Jaina was doing the same to her.

"Lady Proudmoore."

"Lady Windrunner."

They nodded to each other in near perfect synchrony, and walked to their table side by side, whilst constantly keeping an eye on each other.

Remembering that it was supposed to look like a date, not two cautious allies trying to catch the other backstabbing, Sylvanas hurried her step enough to get in front of Jaina and pull out her chair for her. Seeing this Jaina made a strange sound, like tensely sucked in breath turning into a pleased gasp in the very last moment.

"Have to sell the illusion." She whispered into Jaina's ear, despite having not noticed anyone giving them a first, much less second glance. She justified the pleasantry as a display of good will.

 

Jaina ordered stew, and Sylvanas had the same out of politeness. Food was little except nutrition to her, as it turned to ash with the taste of mud in her mouth. Jaina assured her that she wasn't missing out.

They pretended to make small talk, though really all they did was just taking turns droning at each other to fill the space between them. At one point Sylvanas caught herself literally reciting the rangers manual on the topic of bowstring maintenance!

Spotting a vaguely familiar figure out the corner of her eyes, Sylvanas quickly turned to her meal partner, and with deadly seriousness ordered her to: "say something."

Jaina blinked several times in confusion, each time making Sylvanas's glare more intense, until she stammered out. "A duck walked into the Apothecary and said 'Give me some ChapStick... and put it on my bill!" Causing Sylvanas to knock back her head and laugh! It was loud and unnatural, and entirely uncalled for.

As quickly as Sylvanas's laughter had begun so it faded again. "Good that should give him something to think about." she said and sent a knowing glance across the dining hall, Jaina tried to follow it but found nothing out of the ordinary.

"Mathias Shaw" Sylvanas explained. "Or perhaps just one of his grunts, their footsteps all sound the same, like a kodo carrying a shipment of bells trying to tiptoe through a china store."

Jaina laughed affirmingly, a sound much gentler on the ear than Sylvanas had expected. "Oh good, I thought I was the only one who noticed that our spy corps sounds like the Silver Hand's marching bad."

Sylvanas wanted to fire back, yet in that moment she somehow drew a blank, and ended up just mumbling something nondescript, leaving them both feeling a little awkward. It was especially embarrassing considering the amount of time she had spent ragging on branches of the alliance military to unwind after long days.

 

After dinner they retired to a private room above the inn, and Jaina made a big show of casting a silencing ward around the room, while Sylvanas pulled the blinds tight.

That was by and large the end of their plans for the night, they would stick around for an hour or two then poorly sneak their separate ways, and remain uptight about where they had been when asked.

The rumor mill should have all the fodder it needed by then.

 

Sylvanas pulled out a book of Lordaeron poetry that she had packed for just that occasion and made herself comfortable in the chair.

Jaina however sent her this curious that she couldn't read, and it infuriated Sylvanas to no end for the few seconds it lasted. "Would you prefer I took the bed lady Proudmoore." She sneered in an attempt at diplomacy.

"It's all the same to me, I have gotten very good at sleeping where I can." The mage had already stripped out of her outer robes and begun to inspect the bed.

"That's quite the vote of confidence, you don't expect me to undertake some nefarious plot while you sleep."

A small grin spread across Jaina's lips. "Alliances are build on trust lady Windrunner, but speaking of nefarious ploys..."

With that Jaina reached both hands under her dress and with a few less than graceful wiggles pulled out her panties. She then proceeded to wave the offending article of clothing in Sylvanas direction, who until then had been stuck staring dumbfounded at her, mouth agape.

Shaking her head to regain her senses, Sylvanas asked in the most annoyed tone she could manage: "And what exactly do you expect me to do with a piece of your undergarments?" Seemingly trying to burn a hole with her glare.

"It occurred to me that surely the Dark Lady of all people would be the type to bring home a trophy of her conquest, so I arrived prepared. I hope you appreciate me sacrificing one of my favorite pairs of underwear for some unwary servant to find."

"I'm sure that won't be necessary."

"And I'm sure it will."

The 2 women looked deep into each other's eyes, each waiting for the other to cave.

"Fine." Sylvanas finally relented and snatched the fabric out of the mage's hand. The mage in the mean time let a smug smile grow across her face, as Sylvanas aggressively stuffed the panties into one of her pockets.

 

They didn't speak for the rest of the night, not even a goodbye as they split ways, the next step of their scheme would have to be planned via letter.

Sylvanas on her part couldn't wait to get back to Ogrimmar, it felt like Jaina's panties were burning a hole in her pocket and any moment she would start smelling burnt flesh.

She still dutifully left the drawer in which she stored the deep blue piece of silk carrying the mark of a Kul Tiran tailors guild "carelessly" open, for any nosey servant to see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm kinda curious, which would people prefer i focus on keeping updated, this or "First step on a long road?"
> 
> hmu here or on tumblr with your answer

**Author's Note:**

> I'm also on tumblr (https://offbrand-valk.tumblr.com/)


End file.
